This invention relates generally to a buckle type fastener, and more particularly to a fastener made up of two separable pieces.
Two piece buckle fasteners are incorporataed into leisure, camping, sports, and safety products. Typically they are employed to fasten together the two ends of a belt, for example in a backpack or a life jacket.
Tracy, U.S. Pat. No. 4,150,464, discloses a separable buckle wherein two parallel resilient arms of the clasp piece are each provided with a tab that locks into a corresponding slot in a receptacle piece. A central rigid arm is provided with stop means that limit the bending of the resilient arms.
Cousins, U.S. Pat. No. 3,798,711, discloses a separable buckle wherein the frame portion of the male piece has an obliquely disposed resilient tongue that terminates to define a shoulder facing the free end portion of the male piece. To fasten the buckle, the frame portion of the male piece is positioned within the housing, and the shoulder of the tongue engages a bar in the housing that defines a fenestration therein.
For many applications, and most dramatically in the safety applications, it is desirable for a fastener to be easily and quickly fastened, notwithstanding that the operator may be hurried or distracted, and at the same time be readily released when desired and resistant to stress that might cause accidental release. In view of the foregoing, it is advantageous to provide a buckle type fastener that more successfully combines the properties of easy fastening and security against accidental release.